Hygiene scare at MP hospital: Video of rats inside neonatal unit goes viral; 20 nursing staff get notice

BHOPAL: Days after a video showing rats inside the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Satna district hospital triggered outrage, raising larger concerns over hygiene standards in leading public healthcare facilities in the state, the hospital authorities were jolted into action as they issued show-cause notices to four doctors and about 20 nursing officers for alleged negligence, officials said on Tuesday. The action followed an internal review of CCTV footage from the SNCU at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Government District Hospital, where rodents were purportedly seen moving freely inside the neonatal unit that caters to critically ill newborns. The footage, which surfaced on social media last week, prompted the district health authorities to initiate disciplinary proceedings.Amar Singh, a civil surgeon at Satna district hospital, told TOI that CCTV footage was examined in detail and show-cause notices were issued to doctors and nursing staff deployed in the SNCU. He said the video appeared, prima facie, to have been recorded by hospital staff themselves. While pest control arrangements were already in place, additional instructions were now issued to further strengthen preventive measures. The development has only added to the public scrutiny on Satna district hospital, which is already under investigation following the detection of HIV infection in six thalassaemia-affected children, allegedly linked to contaminated blood transfusions. A state-level probe into the hospital's blood bank and transfusion practices is currently underway.Hospital authorities said efforts are being intensified to improve infection control and hygiene, particularly in sensitive units such as the SNCU, even as the administration seeks to fix accountability for the lapses highlighted by the viral video.